Welter, teammates earn pickleball gold medals in Ohio, Michigan

Published August 17, 2018 - www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com

Cape Coral resident Mike Welter participated in the Michigan Senior Olympics in pickleball this past weekend. He won gold in singles and gold in mixed doubles with Nancy Robertson of Naples and took bonze with Glenn Geda of Michigan. Last month Welter participated in the Ohio State Senior Games and took gold in singles and gold in mixed doubles with North Fort Myers resident Bobbi Little, and took silver with Denny Vincent of Columbus, Ohio, and a part-time resident of Naples.

These games were both qualifiers for the National Senior Games in June, 2019, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Rookie gets schooled in a game of pickleball

Published June 18, 2018 - www.heraldtribune.com


A little over a month ago, a friend and I were working out at a local YMCA and could not help but notice how much fun a big group of people were having playing what looked like a smaller version of tennis in the gym.

So we went in, were handed a set of paddles and given a crash course on pickleball.

I’ve been hooked ever since.

In fact, it has become a new facet of my fitness journey — one that has seen me drop 115 pounds in the last year and a half. That weight loss helped my agility on the small courts — enough to chase that little whiffle ball down for corner shots.

Fast forward a few weeks to an email inviting me to come out for a morning of pickleball at Sun-N-Fun RV Resort in Sarasota, a chance to experience the outdoor game for the first time.

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Southwest Florida scores again with U.S. Open Pickleball Championships

Published April 1, 2018 - www.bonitaspotlight.com

It’s fairly easy to assess the dollar impact of a large event – like the Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships – on the community. This is the third year in Naples for the championship, scheduled for April 21-28.

Jack Wert, executive director and CEO of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, cites an industry standard formula used for sporting events to project that the competition will bring in $3 million. And it gets extra points with the county because it takes place well after Easter, the traditional end of snowbird season. That means more money to the area in what could have been a meager time.

The expected total for 2018 builds on about $2 million from 2016, when 800 players entered; then about $2.5 million in 2017, with 1,200 players. The 2,000 players expected this year, plus spectators, spend money on hotel rooms, dinners, souvenirs and in some cases, homes in Southwest Florida.

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Pickleball Clubs partner with Gift of Life Marrow Registry to Save Lives

Published March 27, 2018 - www.bizwireexpress.com

A dedicated group of volunteers from the Delray Beach Pickleball Club and the Valencia Palms Gift of Life Club held the 2nd Annual Round Robin Pickleball Tournament benefiting Gift of Life Marrow Registry on Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at the Delray Beach Tennis Center.

More than 100 players and spectators, including marrow donors, transplant recipients and volunteers joined together to help those battling blood diseases and in need of a transplant find their lifesaving marrow matches.

For many patients suffering from leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers there is hope of a cure through a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant. Every three minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, but 70 percent of patients do not have a related match and must search the worldwide registry for a volunteer donor.

Those attending the event included two-time marrow donor Matthew Hocherman of Boca Raton and Barbara Goodman of Boynton Beach, whose life was saved through a bone marrow transplant. Gift of Life Founder and CEO Jay Feinberg presented medals to the tournament winners. The medalists were Michael Krooks and Arnie Weinberg – gold, David Amrani and Mark Vogel – silver and Tobias Kaye and Arthur Stein - bronze.

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Pickleball tourney draws players from around the South

Published March 4, 2018 - www.northwestgeorgianews.com

More than 100 players from as far away as Macon and Birmingham, Alabama, took over Thornton Recreation Center for the inaugural Rome (GA) Pickleball Classic.

The four-day event wrapped up Sunday.

“It’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the country right now,” said organizer JP Selle, the tennis director at Coosa Country Club.

Over the past few years, it has become a staple at both the country club and at Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation facilities.

Played with a paddle and a plastic ball, pickleball combines elements of tennis, ping-pong and badminton. According to Lisa English and Logan Yerbey — who trounced their finals opponents in mixed doubles — it’s the sport Baby Boomers have been looking for.

What makes it such a great fit?

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Cape Coral resident claims three gold medals in pickleball at the Lee County 2017 Senior Games

Published February 23, 2018 - www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com

Cape Coral resident Mike Welter recently successfully defended his three Lee County 2017 Senior Games Pickleball titles at the WaKeHatchee indoor pickleball courts.

Welter took the gold medal in singles in the men's 65-69 age category. He then teamed up with Randy Hall of Indian Creek to take the gold medal in the men's doubles age 65-69 division. Finally, he teamed up with Bobbi Little of North Fort Myers to win the gold medal in the mixed doubles age 60-64 division. He did not lose a match during this tournament.

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AAU Pickleball Serves First-Ever Event in Florida

Published February 6, 2018 - www.publicnow.com

The AAU Englewood Chill Blast Pickleball Tournament made history this weekend as the first-ever pickleball event hosted for AAU members. (What the heck is pickleball?!) More than 180 athletes from 31 states - ranging from age 19 to 75 - competed on Florida's west coast as part of the Florida Pickleball League.

'We were so excited to host the Inaugural AAU Pickleball Tournament,' said Sindee Snow, AAU Pickleball National Chair. 'Our best success comes from the individuals who participated in the event. We are looking forward to growing the sport in all ages through the country using the AAU platform.'

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Pickleball Booms in Southwest Florida

Published February 2, 2018 - www.coastalbreezenews.com

The Southern Tropics Tournament Series kicked off in December with the Florida State Pickleball Championships. The Winter Classic represents the second leg of the series.

Five hundred ninety-two pickleball players competed in the East Naples Winter Classic held January 26th-28th at East Naples Community Park. Players of all ages and skill levels ranging from 3.0-5.0 participated. The organized event, well-staffed with volunteers, ran smoothly and on time as all 44 pickleball courts were busy with action. Although the blustery days proved to be a bit of a challenge, the players persevered…and those who persevered the most came away with a medal.

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